After Acceptance for International Students

If you have received a Letter of Acceptance from Mohawk College, there are a number of steps you must take to secure a seat in your program. Once you’ve secured a seat in your program, there area few additional things to do to be ready for you first day of classes.

Congratulations! We look forward to seeing you at Mohawk!

1. Understanding your Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

Your Letter of Acceptance will contain one of 3 messages:

Accepted: If your letter indicates you have been accepted into your program, the next step is for you to confirm your intention to come to Mohawk by sending your confirmation fee payment. Full instructions are in your Letter of Acceptance.

Accepted with Conditions: If your acceptance letter indicates you are accepted with conditions, it will include a list of one or more conditions that you must meet to earn a seat in your program.

A condition may be as simple as providing additional academic documentation, or it might be something like needing to upgrade English or math skills. Your Letter of Acceptance will have all the information.

Note: Your seat in your program is not saved until all conditions have been met, tuition fees have been paid in full and proof of Study Permit approval has been received by Mohawk. Be sure to send us proof of Study Permit acceptance as soon as you receive it, otherwise you may lose your seat.

Be sure to send us proof of Study Permit acceptance as soon as you receive it, otherwise you may lose your seat.

Program Full: Many of our programs fill quickly. If you receive a “Program Full” message, unfortunately we will not be able to offer you a seat in the program you have chosen. You can speak to your Mohawk Recruiter about other program options.

Tip: Please read your Letter of Acceptance carefully as it contains a great deal of important information. You will also need your Letter of Acceptance when you apply for your Study Permit to study in Canada.

2. Confirming Acceptance

When you receive your Letter of Acceptance (normally sent to you by email), it is important to respond to confirm your intention to attend Mohawk College. To hold your seat in your program, a deposit is required at that time. Your Letter of Acceptance will have all the details including your confirmation deadline.

What to do next:
To accept your offer and confirm your intention to study at Mohawk College, a $1,600 deposit is required within 20 days of receiving your LOA. (Note: if the tuition deadline has already passed, then this deposit and your tuition is due immediately. Your LOA will have full instructions.)

Payments can be made, in CANADIAN dollars, by Visa, MasterCard, money order, certified cheque or wire transfer. All payment details can be found in the Letter of Acceptance or, please refer to our Payment page.

If you were accepted with conditions:
If your Letter of Acceptance indicated there are conditions to your admission, you should work to meet these conditions as soon as possible. Your seat in your program is not secured until we have received verification that all conditions have been met.

3. Applying for your Study Permit

To study in Canada, international students must have a Study Permit (sometimes called a study visa) issued by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada. In some cases, a Temporary Resident Visa is required in addition to the Study Permit. Please see the Canada Immigration website Canada Immigration website to determine if you require a Temporary Resident Visa.

The permit approval process takes time and is longer for students from some countries. To begin the Study Permit application process, you must have already received a Letter of Acceptance from Mohawk College.

Tip: We encourage you to begin the Study Permit application process as soon as you receive your Letter of Acceptance. Be sure to send us proof of Study Permit acceptance as soon as you receive it, otherwise you may lose your seat.

When you receive your Study Permit, please notify Mohawk College (follow the instructions in your Letter of Acceptance). Then, you can start arranging travel to Canada and begin to organize where you’ll be living while attending Mohawk College.

Tip: When submitting documents to immigration, keep a copy of your full application package and all documentation. Send your application via courier and record the confirmation number in a safe place.

5. Registration

When you receive your Study Permit and have paid all tuition fees for your program, you will be able to register for your courses.

To avoid line ups and delays when you arrive at Mohawk, you can register from home using the online registration system at MyMohawk.

If you experience any difficulties, please contact the Mohawk International team or drop in to International Square when you arrive on campus and we will help you get registered.

6. Coming to Canada

Most international students coming to study at Mohawk will arrive at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Pearson International Airport is about a 1 hour drive from Hamilton and Mohawk College.

As soon as your Study Permit application has been approved, you should begin planning your travel to Canada. In addition to your flights, you should also consider your transportation to and from airports and accommodations in Hamilton.

It is also a good time to check your passport. Please ensure your passport is valid AT LEAST through the end of your first semester.

Airport Welcome

You can find our volunteers at Pearson Airport from August – September every year. Their hard-to-miss orange shirts will say Airport Welcome and have logos for Mohawk College along with two other schools in the Hamilton area. Our volunteers will help you find your way from the airport to Mohawk by GO Bus, Airport Limousine, Taxi or Uber/Lyft (these are applications you can download on your smartphone).

Ground Transportation options from Pearson International Airport to Hamilton include:

Taxi (always available)
Limo (always available)Go Bus (Departs 30+ times per day) - most affordable option
Airways Transit - Mohawk College partners with Airways Transit to get you to/from Toronto Pearson International Airport and your local area destination (approximate travel time is one hour and fifteen minutes). There is a fee for this service. Read more about Airways Transit.
Lyft (Must be contacted)
Uber (Must be contacted)

While we cannot guarantee pricing for any of these services, at time of writing the Go Bus at under $15 is a flexible and affordable option. (NOTE - the Go Bus goes to the Bus Station not directly to Mohawk College. A taxi, Lyft or Uber can take you the rest of the way.)

Other services from the airport to Mohawk College will range between approximately $75 and $150.

If you will be arriving in Hamilton during business hours you can provide the following address and directions to your driver:

Mohawk College
135 Fennell Avenue West
Hamilton, ON, Canada L9C 0E5

Tip:Passports & Important Documents – Keep a photocopy of your passport, your Study Permit and any other important identification documents in a safe place away from the originals.

Hotels Near Mohawk

If you arrive on the weekend, on a holiday or outside of Mohawk College business hours, you may wish to have your driver take you to one of these reasonably priced hotels near your Mohawk campus. (Please refer to your LOA to determine which campus you will be attending.) Please note that by providing this list of hotels Mohawk College is not endorsing any of these businesses and this list is provided for convenience only.

Accommodations/Housing and Food

As soon as your Study Permit is approved, you should immediately arrange your living accommodations for your time in Hamilton. There are a number of living options for international students. Please note, you are not automatically placed in any accommodations and you must arrange this before you arrive.

It’s also a good idea to think about how you will plan your food while at Mohawk.

For more information on accommodations and food options please see our Housing section.

7. Acquiring Program Equipment

Please read your course descriptions carefully and determine if there is any equipment or materials that might be needed. Make a plan to acquire these items before you leave home or when you arrive in Canada. If you wait until you arrive in Canada, please be sure to arrive early enough to allow time to find and acquire anything you might need. Some equipment is program specific and you may be required to purchase it once you have arrived in Canada.

8. If your Study Permit Application is Denied

If you have been informed by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada that your application for a Study Permit has been denied, you have two options:

1) If you think you might be approved for a Study Permit in the future, you can defer your admission to an upcoming intake. If you would like to defer your admission, please take the following steps